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City of Vancouver Lane Debris Clean Up:  

Call 311

E-Waste-Drive

Start collecting your old electronics now for the SBIA e-waste drive. If you would like to participate or need more information, please contact the SBIA office (604-258-2727).

The SBIA will sort and distribute donations. Used electronics and computer equipment will be given to Free Geek to refurbish and donate to non-profits and other groups in need, or delivered to an appropriate recycling facility.

Dates TBA.

Textile Drive

Spring 2014 - The SBIA, along with with Boardroom Eco Apparel and Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre, will hold a textile drive to collect used clothing, bedding, curtains, rags, and other textiles.

Any clean useable clothing or bedding will be donated to Ray-Cam; unusable clothing and other textiles (curtains, rags, shoes, etc.) will be recycled into raw material and used in Boardroom Eco Apparel's closed loop apparel manufacturing.

More information about the textile drive will be available soon. 

DTES LAP Learning Sessions

Click Here for dates.

Members' LAP Forum

Graffiti Tags Removed: 2,656  

Mobile Community Watch Hours: 6,800   

Street and Lane cleaning:1,800

Waste Diverted:  

Organics: 20,862.8 kg
Soft Plastics: 1,267.1 kg  

Mixed Containers: 21,280.6 kg 

Now that 2014 is in full swing, please take a moment to read up on a very successful 2013 Holiday Social, welcome our new Resource Park Coordinator Johanna Vortel, and find out more about upcoming events and initiatives.  

Please note that we will be hosting a members' forum on February 20, when the City will present the draft local area plan (LAP) and take questions from SBIA members. It's a very important opportunity to talk to the City about the plan and how it will impact Strathcona. Read more about the session and how to register below.  

The Board of Directors and staff wish you a wonderful and prosperous 2014!

On Wednesday, December 11, 2013, the Strathcona BIA held its Annual Holiday Social at Chapel Arts. The event saw a turnout of over 75 people and was a great opportunity for business owners, community stakeholders and SBIA partner organizations to network and build relationships.

We would like to thank the following generous member businesses and partner organizations for providing donations to the event:

Boardroom Ecoapparel, Floral & Hardy Edible Plants, G&F Financial Group, Securiguard, Sunrise Soya Foods, and The Butler Did It Catering Co.

Thank you to everyone who attended and we look forward to working with you in 2014!  

Johanna Vortel is excited to be the new Resource Park Coordinator at the Strathcona BIA. She is a recent graduate from UBC's Human Geography program, where she pursued interests in urban studies and resource management.

"The chance to dive into hands-on composting was what really drew me to this job," she says. "Let's face it; being able to call yourself a professional composter is pretty awesome. So you can imagine my excitement when I landed the position. Since starting at the SBIA, I've realized this job will be so much more than composting organics. In two short months, I've already had the chance to meet

many dedicated Strathcona business and community members who work to make this a vibrant and sustainable community."

Johanna thinks the Resource Park is a remarkable example of the unique ideas surrounding sustainability and business in Strathcona. She's impressed by the way the Park leads the way for small-scale closed loop waste management, and at the same time, connects so many different groups in the community. As the Resource Park Coordinator, she hopes both to deepen those connections and to make new ones, whether it is through helping new members benefit from the waste collections program or through educational outreach to youth and community groups.

You may spot her riding around the neighbourhood on her bike (she recently graduated from fair-weather rider to year-round commuter after finally buckling down and investing in some waterproof MEC gear...) or eating in one of the area's many restaurants. She looks forward to meeting many more community members in the upcoming months.

2013 was a big year for the Community Relations committee (CRC) - so much so that the committee received a new name (it was formerly Government Relations & Safety). It will focus on maximizing relationships with our many community partners to create more dialogue and strengthen our initiatives.

Last year saw the creation of the Mobile Community Watch and the continuation of such long-standing programs as graffiti removal and street and lane debris cleanup.  

The CRC will also be soliciting members' feedback on new initiatives they are looking to implement later in 2014.    

Mobile Community Watch - 604-685-0011

Graffiti Removal: 604-253-4469 or graffiti@mission-possible.ca

When calling or emailing about any SBIA programs/ services please identify yourself as a Strathcona BIA member.

Over the past year, the Marketing & Communications Committee has been moving full steam ahead with an ambitious marketing campaign that will help raise awareness of Strathcona and promote the area as the place for independent businesses to thrive.  

The campaign will launch this summer and will feature resource materials and a tour of industrial businesses, among other initiatives. If you operate a business in the industrial lands and are interested in participating in the tour, or if you can help us spread the word, please contact Sam.

Implementing the Urban Tree Nursery project has been a goal of the Strathcona and Hastings Crossing BIAs for a number of years. Semi-permanent planters will be installed at various locations along the Hastings corridor between Main Street and Campbell Avenue, crossing the boundary between the two business improvement areas.  

Young trees will grow in the planters for three to five years before they are auctioned off (raising money to ensure the initiative is ongoing) and are replaced by new saplings. Businesses near the planters will be invited to commit to caring for the trees as they grow, providing watering in the summer and removing litter from the planters.The Urban Tree Nursery will enliven our neighbourhood with extra greenery, provide much-needed shade in the hot months, and create new habitat for songbirds and helpful insects.

Currently, Meg, our Sustainability Coordinator, is researching different types of planters and sourcing specific species of trees that will grow well in our urban environment. Planters and trees will be installed in 2014.  

If your business is interested in caring for a tree or sponsoring a planter, contact Meg to get involved. This project is generously supported by the City of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside Capital Funds program.

SBIA Compost and Recycling Collection Service